The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-10
SENATOR JOHN SHERMAN.
He Discusses Current Politics and Relates
Some Very Interesting "reminiscences.


W. A. Mach in Cincinnati Enquirer.
Has the frequent interpostion of the veto
power added to or detractsd from President
Cleveland's popularity" / asked
"Why, some of bis vetoes," said the Senator.
ARE indefensible. / take up the smaller ones.
On what principle he signs bill to give public
building to Greensboro. small distilling town
on the Ohio river, in Kentucky, and vetoes the
bills for like purpose for Portsmouth and Day
ton, in Ohio, l cannot comprehend. His veto of
the dependency pension bill. in my opinion. was
grave error of judgment / believe that the
people of the United States stand ready to sup
port the INDECENT soldiers Of the war. In my
State Of Ohio, and in the State of massachusetts,.
this class are never allowed to go to the poor
house. From estimate made roughly. | APP
proximate that about thirty thousand soldiers
would have come under the benefcent provis-
sions of the bill. This would have cost say four
and half millions year. Assume that fifty
thousand would have como within its scope.
This would cost about seven millions year.
With treasury redundant with money. and with
a Democratic party in power, incompetent to re-
| duce taxation. why not let these old soldiers
| have it? The country we'll afford it. good
| many soldiers of the late war would not ask for
| its benefits, because they are earning good
| livelihood, and many making money"
els it true. Senator" asked. that after vou
had been appointed jointly with Senator Sauls-
bury, of Delaware. committee to wait upon the
| President and advise him that Congress was
ready to adjourn, you refused to go to the White
| House, taking the ground that in the dying
stages of Congress the President should be at
| the Capitol"
Eyes. it is was his quick answer 81 told
! Mr. Salisbury that if he chose to 60 to the
| White House this mission he might but |
would not. Every President of the United
States. from the days of George Washington to
President Arthur, had always attended at the
| Capitol the closing hours of Congress, and saw
no reason why with the present executive there
should be exception After some INQUIRY
| Mr.. Salisbury Joined with me in such opinion,
| and some one telegraphed to Mr. Cleveland his
presence at the Capitol was Imperative, and IN
| the very throes of the death he did come, and
| Mr. salisbury and myself waited upon him
the room set aside for his use near the Senate
| Mr.. Sherman then spoke of the troubles
| which confronted him when Secretary oe the
| Treasury under President Hayes. He was pre-
| pairing for the resumption of specie payments.
| Il remember he said, Il was summoned be-
| fore the committee on banking and currency, of
which Judge Buckner, of Missouri, was chair
man, and General Tom Ewing, of Ohio. a
member. Or the first day of my appearance
every thing was taken in writing. | made the
| statement that the United States government at
that time in a better shape to meet its obi
| cations than the Bank of England This in
1878 On the second day appeared Tom Ewing
| thought he had tripped me up. When | went
into the room saw that he had statistics cover
| then asked me if would reneat my declaration
of the day before This did.
why" said General Ewing. with some ex-
ultation. the Bank Of England has seserse of
60 per cent. 20 meet its obligations
Yes | said And continued General
| Ewing, the United States, according to your
showing, has only % per cent. Yes, answered
| We'll tell me- Mr. Sherman said Ewing, how
You reconcile these admissions with yonr state
ment.' In this way. General, said: You
must bear in mind that the Bank OF England
has two separate departments Yon are only
looking upon it as a bank of Issue. In addition
to this it is bank of deposit If you viii com
bine these two features Of its business and note
the many pounds sterling it has on hand subject
to check, you will find that it has less than %
per cent. of a reserve to meet its obligations
The General made his calculation in this light,
and saw that was borne out by the very reports
he had cops...sse-. ...uI, cuuxo r,uvnu-r rnlu IN
sotto voce or.ieve Shar:.iia..,.. - honest in his
resumption scheme / told the committee
would 60 to New York the following week and
sell $50. 900, 600 of Al per cent bonds / had re-
served for gold and at premium. This I sub
seqnently did. AS was leaving the committee
room Judge Buckner said: Sherman, l am about
ready to believe in your plan of resumption. If
you succeed all is well; but it you fail. there
will be hell
Right here" said the Senator, II want to cor
rect misstatement made by some There
are those who charge / am against silver. Not
at all. am bimetallist | object to putting
the amount of silver we use in dollar which
must subsequently be redeemed liz gold. / favor
the silver certificate and the gold certificate.
| Why go to the expense of coming the silver when
We can have its bullion value represented by a
paper certificate, the cost of which is insignii-
cant2 The silver certificate and the gold certii-
cate is the best money we have, because behind
it is actual value"
The administration of President Hayes then
came up as an incident of our conversation.
president Hayes" said Mr.. Sherman, was 9
good deal moro of man than he is credited
with. He was rather phlegmatic in his tempera
ment, aud inclined to be little lazy but he had
in him splendid traits"
s'Fhe Republican party" ne continued, 81
think, is gaming strength. 1t will carry at the
next presidential election all the States carried
at the last and will add to it the votes of the
States of Indiana and Virginia. / look upor
Virginia to-day Republican State. The
tariff position of the Southern Democrats has
: alienased the Virginia Democrats from the
BoGrbons. They want protective tariff anc
want the abolition of many of the features Of
our internal revenue system. The States oil
Alabama and Tennessee will divide as has
Virginia. In Alabama and Georgia there viii
be protection wanted, not alone for the iron in
terests, but for manufactured cotton goods a.
we'll. The South is now manufacturing thu
coarser cotton goods"
DO you think the Republican party will bs
able to divide the Democratic vote in the South
ern States You have nanaedT
wy n.y. said the Senator, Eve divide it now
The trouble is of the Infamous system of refus
ing 10 count tue vote. Ihe time will come wher
q the white vote in the South will divide, and wne,
q X does the negro vote will then be counted
4 Both sides to whatever may bring about tn,
division Of the white vote will see to it that tn,
negro vote is counted. In fact the negro vot,
T will then be not only counted, but likewis
v cour,ed The spectacle to-day the South pre-
:. rants is representation in Congress based uno,
n large population whose vote is ignored TIL
House of Representatives, to my mind, is too
t large. anyway. 1t is too unwieidy. It's mem
g bership ought to be fixed at 225 An efor
= | was made to fix it in 1850, and keep it a
Il | that
= Nov, let me ask you right here. said, ssthis
y Do you think the mugwump vote will return {,